I read with interest your lead article about Scioto Downs starting live racing and the good betting numbers that they generated (full story here). While those numbers look relatively good you have to remember all that money is coming from off track advance deposit betting sites. So while the gross numbers look good, the amount Scioto Downs gets to keep is a lot less than normal. So those numbers, while good, most likely will not be able to sustain good purses for long.

You also have to note they had the harness betting market all to themselves. So what happens to betting numbers as other harness tracks start up? This situation only brings more attention to how much harness racing depends on casino subsides to keep the purses at reasonable levels. Maybe this year will wake up the participants of how important it is to come up with ways to improve the product and increase both on track and off track wagering.

Well, at least we now have live racing back and the horseman can have some income.

Thanks for your coverage of what’s happening in the industry.

— John Chambers / Lansdowne, PA